Chapter 13

And, behold, there came¹ a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood⁶ by the altar to burn incense.⁵³

And he cried⁴ against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said,⁴ O altar, altar, thus saith¹ the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born¹² unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer¹ the priests of the high places that burn incense⁵⁶ upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt⁴ upon thee.

And he gave¹ a sign the same day, saying,² This [is] the sign which the LORD hath spoken;¹⁴ Behold, the altar shall be rent,⁸ and the ashes that [are] upon it shall be poured out.⁸

And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard² the saying of the man of God, which had cried¹ against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth⁴ his hand from the altar, saying,² Lay hold³ on him. And his hand, which he put forth¹ against him, dried up,⁴ so that he could¹ not pull it in again⁵³ to him.

The altar also was rent,⁸ and the ashes poured out¹¹ from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given¹ by the word of the LORD.

And the king answered⁴ and said⁴ unto the man of God, Intreat¹⁶ now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray¹⁰⁰ for me, that my hand may be restored me again.⁴ And the man of God besought^{17 6440} the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again,⁴ and became as [it was] before.

And the king said¹⁷ unto the man of God, Come³ home with me, and refresh³ thyself, and I will give⁴ thee a reward.

And the man of God said⁴ unto the king, If thou wilt give⁴ me half thine house, I will not go in⁴ with thee, neither will I eat⁴ bread nor drink⁴ water in this place:

For so was it charged¹⁴ me by the word of the LORD, saying,² Eat⁴ no bread, nor drink⁴ water, nor turn again⁴ by the same way that thou camest.¹

So he went⁴ another way, and returned¹ not by the way that he came¹ to Bethel.

Now there dwelt⁶ an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came⁴ and told¹⁷ him all the works that the man of God had done¹ that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken¹⁴ unto the king, them they told¹⁷ also to their father.

And their father said¹⁷ unto them, What way went¹ he? For his sons had seen⁴ what way the man of God went,¹ which came¹ from Judah.

And he said⁴ unto his sons, Saddle³ me the ass. So they saddled⁴ him the ass: and he rode⁴ thereon,

And went⁴ after the man of God, and found⁴ him sitting⁶ under an oak: and he said⁴ unto him, [Art] thou the man of God that camest¹ from Judah? And he said,⁴ I [am].

Then he said⁴ unto him, Come³ home with me, and eat³ bread.

And he said,⁴ I may⁴ not return² with thee, nor go in² with thee: neither will I eat⁴ bread nor drink⁴ water with thee in this place:

For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat⁴ no bread nor drink⁴ water there, nor turn again⁴ to go² by the way that thou camest.¹

He said⁴ unto him, I [am] a prophet also as thou [art]; and an angel spake¹⁴ unto me by the word of the LORD, saying,² Bring him back⁵⁴ with thee into thine house, that he may eat⁴ bread and drink⁴ water. [But] he lied¹⁴ unto him.

So he went back⁴ with him, and did eat⁴ bread in his house, and drank⁴ water.

And it came to pass, as they sat⁶ at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back:⁵²

And he cried⁴ unto the man of God that came¹ from Judah, saying,² Thus saith¹ the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed¹ the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept¹ the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded¹⁴ thee,

But camest back,⁴ and hast eaten⁴ bread and drunk⁴ water in the place, of the which [the LORD] did say¹⁴ to thee, Eat⁴ no bread, and drink⁴ no water; thy carcase shall not come⁴ unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.

And it came to pass, after he had eaten² bread, and after he had drunk,² that he saddled⁴ for him the ass, [to wit], for the prophet whom he had brought back.⁵²

And when he was gone,⁴ a lion met⁴ him by the way, and slew⁵⁵ him: and his carcase was cast⁹⁴ in the way, and the ass stood⁶ by it, the lion also stood⁶ by the carcase.

And, behold, men passed by,⁶ and saw⁴ the carcase cast⁹⁴ in the way, and the lion standing⁶ by the carcase: and they came⁴ and told¹⁷ [it] in the city where the old prophet dwelt.⁶

And when the prophet that brought him back⁵² from the way heard⁴ [thereof], he said,⁴ It [is] the man of God, who was disobedient¹ unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered⁴ him unto the lion, which hath torn⁴ him, and slain⁵⁵ him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake¹⁴ unto him.

And he spake¹⁷ to his sons, saying,² Saddle³ me the ass. And they saddled⁴ [him].

And he went⁴ and found⁴ his carcase cast⁹⁴ in the way, and the ass and the lion standing⁶ by the carcase: the lion had not eaten¹ the carcase, nor torn¹ the ass.

And the prophet took up⁴ the carcase of the man of God, and laid⁵⁵ it upon the ass, and brought it back:⁵⁵ and the old prophet came⁴ to the city, to mourn² and to bury² him.

And he laid⁵⁵ his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned⁴ over him, [saying], Alas, my brother!

And it came to pass, after he had buried² him, that he spake⁴ to his sons, saying,² When I am dead,² then bury¹ me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God [is] buried;⁷ lay⁵⁴ my bones beside his bones:

For the saying which he cried¹ by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which [are] in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.

After this thing Jeroboam returned¹ not from his evil way, but made⁴ again⁴ of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated¹⁷ him, and he became [one] of the priests of the high places.

And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut [it] off,⁵³ and to destroy⁵³ [it] from off the face of the earth.